Are you looking for a remedy for chest tightness and difficulty breathing? Find out here the steps you can take.
Breathing is the most natural thing a person does. Therefore, it is very worrying if someone is having difficulty breathing, especially if they are a child. Often, difficulty breathing can be a sign of a more serious illness.
Difficulty breathing is a condition that can affect anyone, young or old. It can cause great anxiety and fear, especially if there is no immediate solution to the situation.
But how do you know if someone is having difficulty breathing and what are the possible causes?
Here are some possible causes and what you should do when your child is having difficulty breathing
How do you know if a child is having difficulty breathing?
One way to tell if a child is having trouble breathing is to check their breathing rate. Count their breaths in one minute. Here are the normal breathing rates for children according to their age:
- 60 breaths per minute for babies aged 0-5 months.
- 50 breaths per minute for babies aged 6-12 months.
- 40 breaths per minute for children aged 1-5.
- 20-30 breaths for school-age children.
The normal breathing rate decreases as a child grows. For example, if a 6-year-old child’s breathing rate is over 30, it is considered abnormal and should be seen by a doctor.
Symptoms of difficulty breathing
Here are some more symptoms of chest tightness or difficulty breathing:
- Especially in babies, you will notice if their chest rises when they breathe.
- The nostrils widen when breathing.
- Panting
- Their skin, lips, or nails turn pale or blue
- Depression
- Their breathing is noisy or makes a sound.
Causes of difficulty breathing
There are many possible causes of shortness of breath. They are usually related and have the potential to become serious if not treated promptly and properly.
Chest tightness and difficulty breathing remedy | Image from Freepik
Here are some possible causes of difficulty breathing:
Most people experience difficulty breathing when they catch a cold due to viruses. If the cold is not cleared and accumulates, it can block our sinuses or cause sinusitis, which can cause difficulty breathing that lasts for two to three weeks.
It is also possible that we inhale something in our environment that will cause us to have difficulty breathing. People with allergies may experience a runny nose, a stuffy throat, or itching and hives. A runny nose and stuffy throat can make it difficult for a person with allergies to breathe.
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Asthma: Chest and back pain and difficulty breathing
If you experience chest and back pain and difficulty breathing along with a cough accompanied by wheezing or coughing, it is possible that asthma is the cause of your difficulty breathing.
A person who has an asthma attack will experience a closing of the airways to the lungs. A person with asthma may experience coughing and chest tightness. The main cause of an asthma attack is allergies.
Emphysema is a condition in which the air sacs in our lungs become damaged. When they are damaged, the space in your lungs becomes smaller, the flow of oxygen slows down, and it becomes difficult for a person to breathe.
One of the main causes of this disease is smoking.
Bronchitis is a disease in which the patient has a lot of phlegm, causing his airways to swell and become blocked, making it difficult for him to breathe.
Pneumonia is a bacterial infection that causes the airways in the lungs to become inflamed. They may fill with fluid or pus.
According to Dr. Romina Gerolaga , a pediatrician and expert in pediatric pulmonology at Makati Medical Center , when a child has pneumonia, the lungs become blocked, the airways become narrow, making it difficult for him to breathe.
“Lung tissue contains air sacs. When there are germs, the body fights them off, causing them to swell. Because of that, blockage and inflammation (of the lungs) can occur.”
“It’s getting smaller, air can’t get in properly, which is why others with pneumonia have difficulty breathing,” he said.
It is also possible for a person with lung cancer to have their lungs clogged with cancer cells, so in addition to difficulty breathing, they may also experience coughing, bloody phlegm, chest tightness, and shortness of breath, even if they are not doing any strenuous physical activity.
Tuberculosis, commonly known as TB, is a contagious infection that attacks a person’s lungs. It can also spread to the brain and spinal cord. It is caused by a bacteria called mycobacterium tuberculosis.
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Something is blocking the airways
It is also possible that the difficulty in breathing is due to something inhaled or eaten that blocks the airway in our lungs. That is why it is very important to keep objects or foods called “choking hazards” away from children.
Chest tightness and difficulty breathing remedy
If your child or any family member notices chest tightness and difficulty breathing, it is best to take them to the doctor immediately for evaluation and immediate medical attention.
Despite the potentially serious causes, there are some home remedies for difficulty breathing that you can try while waiting for proper medical attention.
If you can’t go to the doctor right away, here are some home remedies for difficulty breathing or things to do when you have difficulty breathing that you can try.
- Rest in a room with air conditioning. Air conditioning helps because it lowers humidity and filters out dust.
- Breathe deeply from your diaphragm. Also sit with your head elevated to make your breathing more comfortable.
- Lengthen your exhale and inhale and blow air as if you were blowing through a straw.
- Wear loose clothing first.
For people with asthma and allergies, it is important to know and avoid whatever triggers their illness. These could be dust or animal dander, so doctors will suggest avoiding them or wearing a mask.
Antihistamines , which are medications that can help those suffering from allergies to ease their breathing, can be taken orally or sprayed into the nose.
Chest tightness and difficulty breathing remedy | Image from Freepik
There are types of steroids for those with allergies and recurrent sinusitis. They ease breathing by healing inflamed airways.
Asthma medication, administered through an inhaler , helps loosen the airways as well as excess phlegm that may be blocking them.
Home remedies for shortness of breath and chest tightness, things to do when having difficulty breathing
Are you looking for medicine for chest pain and shortness of breath? You can also try some of the common and effective home care or home remedies for shortness of breath and chest tightness.
Aside from relaxation techniques or exercises to relieve shortness of breath and chest pain, there are also some things doctors recommend that can be done at home by individuals experiencing this,
Steam inhalation can help clear the airways in our body, which will also help restore normal breathing.
The heat and moisture from steam inhalation can also help loosen mucus that is stuck in our lungs. The moisture from the steam helps to loosen phlegm and open up nasal passages. To further enhance its effect, you can add a few drops of essential oils like eucalyptus or peppermint, which are known to help with breathing. Do this for a few minutes to feel immediate relief.
If you want to try steam inhalation, you can do the following:
- Fill the bowl with very hot water.
- Add a few drops of peppermint or eucalyptus essential oil.
- 3. Place your face over the bowl.
- Place a towel over your head, and start breathing deeply.
Leave the very hot water aside to cool slightly and avoid burning the skin on your face.
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Drinking coffee beans or black coffee.
Drinking coffee beans can ease your breathing, because the caffeine in it reduces the tightness of the muscles or organs in a person’s airways.
However, it is still important to remember that drinking too much coffee can increase your heart rate or palpitations. So it is worth monitoring and limiting your consumption. Just drink enough.
Eating fresh ginger can help with breathing. You can also mix fresh ginger with hot water and drink it.
Ginger can also help with any respiratory infections that cause chest tightness and difficulty breathing.
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Stay hydrated | Home remedy for difficulty breathing
Drinking 8 glasses of water a day can help you feel refreshed and prevent dehydration or any other dangerous circumstances. This also includes drinking fruit juices and lime or lemon water.
Proper hydration is important for proper airflow in the body. Adequate water helps loosen phlegm and mucus that can clog the airways. In addition, drinking water also helps maintain healthy lungs and overall good breathing. Make sure to drink enough water especially if you are experiencing difficulty breathing.
Proper diaphragmatic breathing can help relieve shortness of breath. This technique allows for deeper and more effective breathing. To do this, lie down or sit up straight, place your hand on your stomach, and take a deep breath while pushing your stomach out. Slowly exhale as you pull your stomach in. Repeat this several times until you feel comfortable and your breathing becomes calmer.
Medicine for chest pain and difficulty breathing
In managing our health, there are always medicinal drugs that can help us recover from illnesses more quickly.
It is alarming for us if someone or a member of our family experiences chest tightness and difficulty breathing. This is often an indication of paralysis or a heart attack. Again, medications should depend on the cause of the symptoms and it is best to consult a doctor first.
Here are some things to remember:
- If you have asthma, emphysema, or chronic bronchitis, your doctor or nurse will prescribe a nebulizer and inhaler. Use these to properly inhale the air your body needs.
- If the cause is a blood clot or mucus in your lungs, you will be given an anticoagulant, a medication that can be taken orally or injected into the body, which will help it dissolve quickly and allow you to breathe properly.
- Your doctor may also prescribe antibiotics for chest tightness.
- Water pills, if there is water in your airway.
- Bronchodilators prescribed by a doctor to relax the lungs and airways.
- If the symptoms experienced are due to a person being anemic, they will be given iron supplements.
- It can be a mucolytic. A drug that clears the lungs, airways, bronchi, and trachea.
- If breathing difficulty worsens and is severe, doctors will use mechanical ventilation or the attachment of a tube into the mouth or throat to perform breathing.
All symptoms will be evaluated by the doctor before prescribing medication that is appropriate for your condition.
Remember, do not give any medication, especially to a child, without a prescription or doctor’s advice.
Difficulty breathing: How do doctors diagnose it?
A doctor will usually perform a physical examination to diagnose a breathing problem. Along with studying the patient’s medical history and other tests, the true source of the difficulty breathing can be determined.
Difficulty breathing | Image from Freepik
For pneumonia, pulmonary function tests are done to detect lung damage. These include spirometry, which measures how much air can be exhaled, and methacholine challenge.
Some doctors order a chest X-ray or CT scan to see if there is a muscle that is causing difficulty breathing. If the patient has sinusitis, some doctors order a CT scan of the sinuses.
Once the root cause of the difficulty breathing has been diagnosed, the expert can determine the right course of action or remedy for the difficulty breathing to help the patient.
Republished with permission from theAsianParent Philippines
